Glass bottles and containers are collected and taken to a glass recycling plant. There, contaminants are removed through various processes like magnets, sorting, and crushing. This recycled glass known as "cullet" is then shipped to various industries and used to make new products. Cullet can be used to make fiberglass insulation, road paint beads, countertops, dishes, and other items. It is a valuable material that saves energy and resources when recycled compared to using newly manufactured glass.

1. GLASS RECYCLING © Kaayla Canfield

2. Glass bottles are collected and taken to a bottle depot

3. Glass bottles, jars, and containers end up at a Glass Recycling Plant

4. Magnet Conveyors, removes ferrous material like lids and caps.

5. The Picker Station, is where employees manually pick contaminates.

6. These are the contaminates removed by the pickers.

7. The Spinning Drum dries the glass.

8. A Bag House (dust collector) - removes dust from the air sucked out of the drier.

9. Crusher Feeder – Where the glass is crushed into smaller pieces

10. This is called “Cullet” as well as “Glass Sand”

11. Finally it is shipped off to various plants that will recycle this “Cullet” and make it into…?

12. Does anyone know what this “Cullet” is made into?

13. In Alberta, we recover 80% of our glass and turn it into Insulation. Approximately 450 jobs are created in this fibre glass insulation industry.

14. Vitreous Glass Recycling Information Recycles 85,000 tons of glass per year. Creates 12 full time jobs. At present, all the recycled glass goes to for fibre glass insulation. (2009) This recycled glass replaces 65% of the new glass, in fibre glass insulation. This fibre glass supplies ¼ of the continent with fibre glass insulation. Vitreous recovers 95% of all the glass, and are working to get it to 97.5%

15. Many Country’s in the world, use Recycled Glass Beads in the Road Paint, for the reflective quality.

16. Recycled Glass Countertops and tables are becoming popular everywhere.

17. Bio Glass Countertops are made from recycled glass.

18. In California, Fire & Light makes dishes and aquariums

19. The first step is to remove plastic and metal caps. Then the glass is crushed, weighed out, and then color is added.

20. Glass is melted overnight at 2,400 degrees, then molten glass is poured into moulds, which presses the glass into the various shapes.

21. After the piece cools to 1000 degrees, torch work is done. Then the piece is put into insulated boxes where it anneals. This process lowers the temperature very slowly from 900 degrees to room temperature, so the glass does not crack.

22. The finished product…beautiful!

23. Fire & Light Information Only Clear Glass is used. Between 9 to 11 tons of glass is recycled every month. 22 full time positions have been created. Fire & Light has 32 products. They sell to 1500 stores across North America.

24. In West Virginia, Marble King makes …Recycled Glass MARBLES

25. Marble King Information They manufacture 1 million marbles per day, seven days a week, and use 4.5 tons of glass per day. 90% of the marbles are made from recycled glass. 38 Full time jobs are created. Used for marble games, board games, decorative vases, spray paint cans and unplugging pipes in the oil industry.

26. These are just a few examples of how glass is recycled. Can you think of more?

27. Can you tell me what “ Cullet ” in this form, is used for?

28. How is Cullet used on a Golf Course?

29. Glass Cullet (fine sand), aids in bunker stability by forming an abrasive dry layer on the land surface, thereby creating conditions that can deter earthworms. Inter-particle friction is relatively high making glass sand less susceptible to particle inter-packing and compaction than rounded natural sands. It also improves drainage.

30. Did you know cullet is used when manufacturing bricks?

31. In brick manufacturing, the principal raw material is clay supplemented with other materials like sand, stain and minerals. Recent research suggests that brick firing temperatures can be reduced by up to 100 degrees Celsius, when glass cullet is added at a rate of 10% by weight to the clay mix.

32. Do you know how cullet is used in the vegetable garden?

33. Cullet can replace sand in a vegetable garden. It creates drainage just like sand does. You mix it with the top soil and the compost, at a ratio of about 20% to 25%. The plants thrive, and the vegetables taste great.

34. Cullet comes in various sizes for landscaping

35. Did you know that cullet is used in plastic timber?

36. Glass cullet is used in the formation of plastic timber, because it makes the plastic maintenance free and virtually indestructible. Plastic timber made with glass cullet can be used to build decks, fences, raised gardens, and many other projects.

37. How is cullet used in concrete?

38. Cullet is used as an additive to concrete. It is called “Aggregate”, and it is used in roadway construction. (curbs, side walks, medians)

39. Cullet is used for “Sand Blasting”

40. Ground Glass (CULLET) is used as an abrasive in the sandblasting process.

41. Recycled Glass Tiles Recycled glass tiles come in many different shapes & colors. Are perfect for back splashes, showers and floors. Can be used indoors and outdoors.

42. Windows are made from recycled glass. Virtually all windows are made from recycled glass. Anywhere from 30% and up.

43. Recycled Glass in the Construction Industry The construction industry has many uses for recycled glass. Do you know what they are?

44. Recycled Glass Facade for building

45. Recycled Glass Facade This facade building material is formed from recycled float (flat) glass. Fired at a very high temperature in bio gas ovens and infused with a pigment to produce a sea green look. No harmful resins are used in the manufacturing of this building material. It is made from 100% recycled glass, and has many uses.

46. Recycled Glass Floor

47. Recycled Glass Stairs

48. Recycled Glass Walls

49. Recycled Glass Shower Enclosure

50. All of these building materials are made from recycled glass. There are so many uses for recycled glass, you’re only limited by your imagination.

51. Here are a few examples of art projects made from recycled glass.

52. This is a recycled glass tile mosaic, made for the back yard.

53. Turtle made from recycled glass tiles, marbles and found objects.

54. Recycled Glass Facts Using recycled glass to make new glass cuts related air pollution by up to 20%. A ton of glass produced from raw materials creates 384 pounds of mining waste, using 50% recycled glass, cuts it by about 75%. Recycling a glass bottle saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for four hours.

55. Recycling 1 ton of glass saves the equivalent in energy of 10 gallons of oil. Glass has been a part of human cultures for more than 3,000 years. Glass containers are 100 percent recyclable, can be recycled endlessly and recovered glass is used as the majority ingredient in new glass containers.

56. The typical glass processing facility can recycle up to 20 tons of glass per hour. Glass containers produced today are 40 percent lighter than when they were 20 years ago, making them much easier to recycle. Unlike other substances such as paper, glass can be recycled infinitely without any loss of purity or quality

57. A glass bottle can take up to one million years to break down, which is how long it will sit in a landfill and take up space if it is not recycled. A recycled glass container can go from recycling bin to store shelf in as little as 30 days. Because glass is made from naturally-occurring materials like sand, it has a low rate of chemical interaction with the contents of the container, which makes it a safe packaging material to be used for generations.

58. Who benefits when we recycle glass?

59. Do you think it is a good idea to recycle glass?

60. What did you learn from this presentation?

61. If you are looking for ways to go green, glass recycling is a prudent thing to do. Here are a few benefits: The Environment is helped by recycling. Jobs are created Better products are made Energy is conserved There is less pollution & green house gasses Trees are saved Less garbage in landfills.

62. Please Note: This presentation only shows some of the industries that use recycled glass. There are many other companies, so feel free to do your own research.

63. Many thanks to the following: Vitreous Glass Inc. Fire & Light Glass Riva’s Eco Store Marble King Icon Stone & Tile Alberta Transportation Earth 911